Harveer Gandam Wins July Player Of The Month Award

Harveer Gandam is the winner of the Cricket World Gunn & Moore Club Performer of the Month award for July. The Slough-born Burnham CC batsman hit 305 runs from the four matches that he played in Division One of the Home Counties Premier League last month; the highlight of which was an unbeaten double-hundred against Harpenden on 20th July.

That innings spanned just 176 balls and helped his side earn their first win in nine Premier League games. In all, he hit 26 fours and four sixes and built on a century from Rezwan Nadeem to, along with a late cameo from Aftab Khan, take Burnham to 377 for two - their all-time highest score, beating their 2002 record of 321 for nine. Aftab then took seven for 89 with the ball as Harpenden were bowled out for 187.

Gandam’s other score of note came when he hit 68 against Henley on 6th July, but on that occasion it was only enough for his side to have the better of a drawn match.

Born in 1990, Gandam began playing sporadically for Slough’s first eleven in 2006 and 2007 before moving to Burnham for 2008. He has remained with them ever since, becoming a key member of the side since returning from university and helping them to stay in Division One of the Home Counties Premier League since they were promoted in 2012.

Gandam had previously represented Buckinghamshire in the Under-15s County Championship and Berkshire in the Under-17s version two years later. He then left to study Politics and Economics at Loughborough University and played three first-class matches for them against the first-class counties, as well as helping them win the MCC Universities T20 Competition in 2011.

Whilst at university, he played for nearby Alfreton in the Derbyshire Premier League in 2009, and Market Harborough in the Leicestershire Premier League in 2011 and 2012 before returning to play for Burnham later in the summer.

Gandam’s other career highlights include playing for Buckinghamshire in the Minor Counties Championship in 2008 and for Gloucestershire’s and Northamptonshire’s second elevens between 2009 and 2012.

There were numerous other players shortlisted for the latest award. James Lowe (Middlesbrough), Justin Bishop (Bury St Edmunds), Asim Butt (Peterborough), Ed Foster (Shrewsbury) and recent winner Neil Curnow (St Just) all made at least 300 runs for the month and were among those that made the cut.

An honourable mention must also go to Cornish cricketer Andrew Brenton, who hit 311 in less than 48 overs for Luckett CC in Division Two East of the Cornwall Cricket League. Whilst not playing at a high enough level to be eligible for the award, hitting 53 fours and 11 sixes and helping his side score 513 for five from 48 overs is a remarkable feat in any cricket.

The Cricket World Gunn & Moore Club Performer of the Month award is awarded monthly to one amateur player from across the 26 ECB Premier Leagues.